English Class 10 - Narration Notes

Narration

Welcome to the chapter on Narration for Class 10. In this chapter, you will learn about direct and indirect speech, the rules for changing narration, and how to convert sentences from one form to another. By the end of this chapter, you will be able to identify, use, and change narration correctly in English.

Introduction

Narration is the way we report what someone has said. There are two types of narration: Direct Speech and Indirect Speech.

Direct Speech

In direct speech, we use the exact words of the speaker. The words are placed inside quotation marks (" ").

• He said, "I am going to school."
• She said, "It is raining."

Indirect Speech

In indirect speech, we report what someone said without using their exact words. Quotation marks are not used.

• He said that he was going to school.
• She said that it was raining.

Rules for Changing Direct to Indirect Speech

• Remove the quotation marks.
• Use a conjunction like that (for statements).
• Change the pronouns (I → he/she, my → his/her, etc.).
• Change the tense of the verb (present → past, will → would, etc.).
• Change words showing nearness (now → then, today → that day, here → there, etc.).

Examples

• Direct: She said, "I am happy."
  Indirect: She said that she was happy.
• Direct: He said, "I will help you."
  Indirect: He said that he would help me.
• Direct: They said, "We are playing."
  Indirect: They said that they were playing.

Changing Questions and Commands

• For questions, use asked or enquired and change the sentence order.
• For commands/requests, use told, ordered, requested, etc.

Example (Question):
Direct: He said, "Where are you going?"
Indirect: He asked where I was going.

Example (Command):
Direct: She said, "Close the door."
Indirect: She told me to close the door.

Fun Activity: Change the Narration!

Write five sentences in direct speech and try to change them into indirect speech. Share them with your friends or teacher!

Summary

• Narration is reporting what someone said.
• Direct speech uses exact words and quotation marks.
• Indirect speech changes the words and removes quotation marks.
• Follow rules for changing pronouns, tenses, and words showing nearness.

Practice Questions

1. Change to indirect speech: She said, "I like apples."
2. Change to indirect speech: They said, "We will come tomorrow."
3. Change to indirect speech: He said, "Where is my book?"
4. Change to indirect speech: The teacher said, "Open your books."
5. Change to direct speech: He said that he was tired.

Challenge Yourself

• Write three sentences in direct speech and change them to indirect speech.
• Write three sentences in indirect speech and change them to direct speech.

Did You Know?

• Narration is also called "reported speech."
• Changing narration helps us report news and stories correctly.

Glossary

• Direct Speech: The exact words spoken by a person.
• Indirect Speech: Reporting what someone said without using their exact words.
• Pronoun: A word that takes the place of a noun (he, she, it, they, etc.).
• Tense: The form of a verb that shows the time of action.

Answers to Practice Questions

1. She said that she liked apples.
2. They said that they would come the next day.
3. He asked where his book was.
4. The teacher told us to open our books.
5. He said, "I am tired."

---

Practice changing narration to become confident in English grammar!